“Because the tag was obscured, we don’t know yet how many times this vehicle has run the toll, so we don’t know how much money he’s stolen from the state,” said Montes.
That sums up the liberal.
I always thought that if the state built a road, it was a public road; that when a private company contracts with the state, then it becomes a toll road. Of course, I’ve only ever heard of one place that a toll road or bridge became a NON-toll road or bridge. The county of Harris, state of Texas, built a toll bridge across the Houston Ship Channel in the 80’s, and promised that once it was paid off, the toll would go away. Instead, they’ve decided to build a 2nd bridge, so each side gets more lanes (a necessity, truly), and proper on and off ramps for 225 on the South side of the Ship Channel. It’s been 30+ years, and that toll will not go away in my lifetime. Hell, they’ve taken the booths out and it’s all automatic now even.
The only place I personally know of the toll being removed was the Coronado Bay Bridge, believe it or not. Anyone have anywhere else?
Several toll roads in Kentucky are now free.
Years ago, the 520 bridge across Lake Washington in Seattle was a toll bridge, and when the bridge was paid off, the tolls went away. I think that was early 80’s. Now they have reimplemented the tolls on 520, as well as added toll HOV lanes on 405 up the eastside, where tolls can get as high as $13 for a one way trip.
Yes, the I-95 bridge, and all others in the city of Jacksonville, FL. Those which cross the St. John’s River. In a mayoral election quite a few years back the Conservative candidate vowed to remove ALL the bridge tolls (the I-95 one was ...25 cents exact change (ie. quarter) tossed in the basket. One change toll taker. All the lanes generally always backed for half a mile or more,esp. from 3 to 6 PM from sheer volume of people forced into the toll lanes (that would be, every single one, North or Southbound). The tolls were a nuisance.
They have never replaced any of the tolls and the candidate elected in a landslide several terms— did what he said he would do.
The Interstate Bridge (at least that’s what we called it) where I-5 crosses the Columbia River between Portland and Vancouver, WA. When I was a kid, it was 25 cents toll, until maybe 1970 or so, then the toll was removed. No idea if it’s back to being a toll bridge now, since I don’t get up that way any more.
I remember hearing the same about E470 here in Denver. Like yours, it will never go away.
Other places where tolls have been removed include Kentucky’s parkway system, the on- and off-ramps on I-95 between Baltimore, MD and Wilmington, DE (the two mainline tolls are still there), I-95 between Richmond and Petersburg in Virgina, a number of bridges in Jacksonville, FL, and finally . . . I-30 between Dallas and Fort Worth.
The Lion’s Gate Bridge in Vancouver Canada.
Oh yeah: the Coquihalla highway, also in British Columbia